The present invention relates to a device control processing apparatus and method, a display processing apparatus and method, and a computer program for controlling a television receiver, a display device such as a display, and other various electronic devices to allow a user to efficiently select and output a content item while reducing the load on the user in selecting a content item and controlling the devices.
With the recent prevalence of data communication networks, so-called home networks in which, even at home, home electric devices, computers, and other peripheral devices are connected to a network so that these devices can communicate with one another have become increasingly popular. Home networks allow network-connected devices communicating with one another to share the data processing functions of the devices and allow content to be transmitted and received between the devices, thus providing usability and convenience for users. In the future, home networks will become more prevalent.
For example, ten or so years ago, the only networks connected to the home were terrestrial television broadcasting networks and telephone lines. Digital products, such as personal computers (PCs) and CD players, were not available at home, and an in-home network merely allowed connecting a television to a VTR to record a television program or connecting audio equipment.
Recently, however, “home network (customer network)” systems making use of intranet technology, such as a LAN, which has been developed mainly for business purposes have rapidly attracted attention. Navigation systems (EPG (Electronic Program Guide) systems) having a program guide function, called EPG, for providing information to users and guiding user operations, have been developed by broadcasting companies, such as CS broadcasting companies and CATV companies, and have been available to users.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-313291 (Patent Document 1) discloses a structure that allows selection of television programs (content) using program guide information provided by an EPG system without resorting to external information from a television program schedule in the newspaper, a television guide magazine, etc.
Recently, there also has been put into practice a structure that allows a user to access electronic devices in a house even from outside the house via a portable terminal using a home network and an external network, such as the Internet, to perform services. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-168471 (Patent Document 2) discloses a system for controlling various devices, such as a home air conditioner, using a terminal having a wireless communication function.
On the other hand, there have been a wide variety of content services available for users. For example, television broadcasts have been available via various data delivery methods, such as ground waves, CS and BS satellite broadcasting, and cable TVs, and video and music delivery services have also been increasingly available via the Internet or telephone lines. Content has also been increasingly provided via media, such as CDs, DVDs, and MDs.
However, due to the development of information devices and the diversification of content, the load on a user in selecting content by operating devices has increased. For example, a user needs to select one of a plurality of channels to watch TV. The number of CS broadcast channels ranges over 100 or more. A user needs to perform an operation to select a desired program from multiple broadcast programs.
Recent hard disk video recorders or DVD recorders that have become popular have a large data capacity. A large number of broadcast programs recorded by a user are stored in a DVD or an HD, and the number of recordings increases over time. In selecting data (content, programs) from such large-capacity data storage means, the user also needs to perform an operation to select desired data from a large volume of data.
Moreover, in a home network environment in which various information devices are connected, content is stored in not only a PC and a hard disk video recorder but also a home server, and a user needs to select a desired content item from multiple content items available from the multiple network-connected devices.
Therefore, a problem occurs in that the diversification and increase of information devices, media, and content providing services cause users to spend much time and labor in selecting content to be used.
Traditionally, a user needs to distinctly recognize an appropriate device to be operated and to operate the device, e.g., a television for television program application, a DVD player for DVD application, a CD player designed for music application, or a PC, a portable telephone, and a PDA designed for homepage application. For example, when a CS tuner and a hard disk video recorder are connected to or integrated into a television, there are three video content types the user can browse on the television: terrestrial broadcasts, CS channels, and video content stored in the hard disk video recorder.
These three different input content types are individually supported by three devices. Thus, the user needs to operate the CS tuner when he/she desires to view CS channel broadcasts. When the user desires to view the video content stored in the hard disk video recorder, he/she needs to operate the hard disk video recorder and further needs to perform an input switching operation on the television. Even if the channel of the CS tuner is set, the desired channel broadcast cannot be viewed until the input of the television is switched to the CS tuner. As such, multiple devices in the home increases the kinds of devices available for the user although it is necessary to understand the device configuration to enjoy content, which places a heavy load on the user.
Also in selecting one channel to be viewed from a plurality of terrestrial, BS, and CS channels, it takes a long time to search all broadcast programs by, for example, sequentially switching the channels, which places a load on the user.
There is a scroll bar serving as a screen display processor with an improved-efficiency selection operation of display data. The scroll bar allows data, such as motion pictures, still images, and text data, to be displayed on a screen. If all data is not on the screen, only a portion on which the user's attention is focused is visible, and the scroll bar is operated to switch the display to view a hidden portion.
Such a scroll bar mechanism has a problem in that although it is understandable which part of the entire data his/her focused portion displayed on the screen is located in, no information about the hidden elements is obtained.